Beauty and the Beast A Crankiplier Fic
by MarkiplierMultiverse
Summary: Crankiplier. Markiplier AU. Markiplier Multiverse. Ethan, finding his friend being held captive, gives his service in exchange for their freedom. Ethan finds out that Mark is a beast to work for. Cursed, Mark has to learn the meaning of love, but can Ethan learn to love in return and break the curse? Work in Progress.
1. Chapter 1

Once upon a time in a faraway land, a young actor lived in a hilltop mansion. And although he had everything his heart desired, the actor was spoiled, selfish, and unkind.

But then one winter's night, an old woman came to the mansion, offering a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the actor sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away. But she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within.

And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away, to reveal a beautiful Enchantress. The actor tried to apologize, but it was too late.

For she had seen that there was no love in his heart.

And as punishment, she placed a curse on the mansion and all who lived there.

Ashamed of what he had done, the actor concealed himself inside his mansion, a mirror his only window to the outside world.

The Rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his twenty-eighth year.

If he could learn to love another and earn their love in return by the time the last petal fell then the curse would be broken.

If not, he would be doomed to remain in solitude for all time.

As the years passed, he fell into despair and lost all hope.

For who could ever learn to love a beast?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter One**

Ethan Nestor, recently unemployed, sat down at the table in his apartment, a stack of applications in front of him to fill out. He already had a lot of other applications ready to be turned in, but he liked to keep his options open. And after his failed attempt at being a waiter, he could throw out all other applications for wanted/needed waiters. He wasn't going to go through that humiliation again.

He had recently moved to the city and the job at the restaurant down the street from the apartment had been his only option at first. The restaurant hadn't required too much prior work experience and they had hired him almost immediately. It had been a pretty good job for a few months, but only when he had been the dishwasher. As soon as they promoted him to waiter, then the trouble started. He never would have thought he could get more clumsy than he already was. He couldn't go back to being the dishwasher, so the restaurant just let him go.

He had two friends living with him now, so the frantic race to find another good paying job wasn't required. He could go a couple of weeks before the rent would be too much for his friends to handle on their own. They understood his dilemma. Not everyone could find as good of jobs as they had. Brian worked as an assistant at a movie studio and Kathryn did an editing job at a news station. They enjoyed their work and got good money. Ethan was just waiting for his dream job to come along.

Ethan filled out a few more applications then got up to make himself a cup of coffee. He was putting everything away when Brian and Kathryn got home for the night. He made sure to make another pot of coffee.

Brian came home with a pizza for supper. "Any luck with jobs?" he asked, setting the box on the counter. "Or was today just filling out applications?"

"I'll drop some off tomorrow and hope for the best," Ethan said, taking out some paper plates.

"You haven't said yes or no about the party at the bar tonight," Kathryn said, getting herself a slice of pizza. "A night out could do you some good."

"I was kind of hoping for a night in," Ethan said. "Plus, the Colonel might be at that party." Colonel William J Barnum. Nice guy, but a bit eccentric. He had been trying to hire Ethan as an assistant for a few weeks now. Ethan had had his job at the restaurant as an excuse, but that wouldn't work for him now. He liked the colonel, but the last thing he wanted to do was work for him. Ethan didn't know any details, but he knew the colonel was always 'losing' assistants.

"You can't really believe the Colonel's gonna be hanging out at EVERY social gathering," Kathryn said as she sat at the table to eat her pizza.

"As long as he keeps hounding me for a job, yes," Ethan replied then got a couple slices of pizza. "He's obsessive. The type that won't stop even if he's told no."

"Then just take the job," Brian said. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"My body could end up in a ditch somewhere," Ethan said. "Or in one of Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pies."

"Dramatic," Kathryn murmured.

"I feel like you've forgotten the fact that he's 'lost' every assistant he's ever had," Ethan said. "He won't even talk about them!"

"I still think you should give it a shot," Brian said. "At least until you find a different job."

"Clearly you're not listening to me."

Brian chuckled around a bite of pizza. "You're just paranoid because you've heard rumors," he said. "I'm gonna take a shower. I'm going to the party." He headed for his bedroom, taking his slice of pizza.

"You really not going?" Kathryn asked. "It could be fun."

"I have applications to fill out."

"Stick in the mud," Kathryn said then left the room to go get ready for the party.

Ethan sighed. "Fine, I'll go!" he called out, knowing the others heard him by the laughter he heard echoing throughout the apartment.

* * *

The party wasn't really Ethan's scene, but he hadn't been able to hang out with his friends in a while. Of course, he would have preferred a different setting, but they seemed really interested in going to this party. But at least he was still enjoying himself. Whenever Brian and Kathryn were around. They were always bumping into other friends they wanted to catch up with. Ethan didn't mind too much. His friends had other friends where they worked. But they always made it clear that the three of them would always remain best friends. That was all he needed.

Ethan sat in a booth in the corner as Brian and Kathryn mingled about. He wasn't trying to be conspicuous until he noticed the Colonel walk in with his own group of friends. Hopefully Ethan would be lucky and the Colonel wouldn't spot him.

Too late. Ethan knew getting up to get a drink from the bar had been a bad idea. The Colonel excused himself from his friends and cornered Ethan at the bar.

"I heard you were let go," the Colonel began. Already a bad start. "Terrible business, that. Have you given any thought to my proposal?"

Ethan wanted to come up with some other excuse, but everything failed him. "To work for you," he said, the Colonel nodding along with every word. "I have thought about it, but I don't really think I'd be the best -"

"Nonsense!" the Colonel interjected. "You're a fine lad, you'd make a great assistant! And now would be the perfect time to come aboard. I"m leaving for the Amazon in a few -"

"Now's just not a good time, Colonel," Ethan said. "I have other jobs I'm looking into. Anything could call me back..." He trailed off when he noticed the Colonel go quiet.

"I see how it is," the Colonel said after a few more minutes of silence. "You're worried that I'll find fault in your lack of experience."

Ethan chose not to take offense at that. The Colonel was eccentric, but he never meant to be rude on purpose. At least, that was what Ethan told himself. "I...guess," he said slowly, unsure how to react.

"No worries," the Colonel assured him. "You can't be any worse than my last assistant. I haven't seen him in weeks!" He gave a hearty laugh.

Ethan chuckled nervously. The Colonel didn't seem to catch on to his discomfort.

"I'll give you a few days to think about it," the Colonel said. "If another job doesn't come up, you know where to find me!" He clapped Ethan on the back then went back to join his associates.

Ethan didn't bother mentioning that he didn't, in fact, know how to contact the Colonel. He grabbed his drink and headed back to his booth, seeing that Brian and Kathryn were now sitting there. He took the seat next to Kathryn, across from Brian.

"This the part where we congratulate you on your new job?" Brian asked. They had seen him talking to the Colonel.

"He gave me a few days to think about it," Ethan said. "I know I'll feel bad for giving him a flat-out no, but I know that that's gotta happen."

"He's probably telling his cronies that he's finally hooked you," Kathryn said with a small chuckle. She laughed more when Ethan gave her a not-so-serious glare.

"If you wanna get your mind off the Colonel, I'm going out with some buddies from work in a few minutes," Brian said. "You can come along if you want."

Ethan hadn't even been interested in coming here. And Brian was going out again? "I'm done for the night," he said. "I've got applications to turn in tomorrow. But you have fun."

"All right," Brian said. "Kathryn?"

"I have to be up early," Kathryn said. "I'm already pushing it. I'm going home with Ethan."

"Don't wait up for me," Brian said then stood up and left.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Two**

Ethan had thought about sleeping in before the inevitable grind toward turning in all the applications he had filled out, but he wasn't even able to do that. He had originally thought his alarm was going off for some reason until he realized that Kathryn was waking him up. He mumbled something that wasn't even understandable to himself as he rolled over.

"Did Brian text you?" Kathryn asked, not even waiting for Ethan to completely wake up. "He didn't come home last night."

There could have been several reasons why Brian hadn't texted or come home last night. Maybe he had hooked up with someone. But Kathryn sounded extra worried. Which meant she had tried calling and texting Brian repeatedly. The least Ethan could do was check his phone.

"He didn't mention where he was going?" Ethan asked as he grabbed his phone from the bedside table and sat up. He had to turn on his phone. He hadn't remembered turning it off last night.

"He just said he was going out with some work friends," Kathryn said. "Part of me now wishes I had gone along. That way I'd know where he was right now."

When his phone came on, Ethan saw that he had a voicemail from Brian and showed Kathryn. "I'm sure he's fine," he said then played the message on speaker phone so Kathryn could hear it as well.

"Ethan," Brian's voice sounded frantic. He was also whispering. Ethan's hopes for his friend to be okay were shattered. "I don't know if you'll ever get this, but...I fucked up. I fucked up big time... The others ran, I don't know if they made it out... There was this big guy with a knife... I don't know how long I can hide. My phone's gonna die, but if you get this, I'm at..." He quickly gave an address then the message ended.

Ethan and Kathryn were silent for what felt like hours.

"Could he be joking?" Kathryn asked, hopeful. "Why else would he talk about a guy with a knife?"

"I don't know," Ethan said. He climbed out of bed and went over to the desk, replaying the message so he could write down the address.

"What are you gonna do?" Kathryn asked. "Should we call the police? What if it's actually just a joke?"

"I guess I'll find out when I get there," Ethan said then walked over to the closet to find a pair of jeans and a shirt.

"You're going there?" Kathryn asked as if he had just decided to walk through a portal straight to hell. But after that message, wasn't that exactly what he was doing? "Are you crazy?!"

"If you have any other suggestion, I'd love to hear it," Ethan said, stepping into the bathroom to change. "I don't know what else I could possibly do." Once dressed, he walked out of the bathroom, grabbing his phone and the paper with the address.

"I'm coming with you."

"No," Ethan was firm. "If it's really that dangerous, you need to be here. I'll call you if something comes up."

"And if you don't call or show up?"

Ethan wrote down a copy of the address for her. "If you don't hear anything from me by tonight, call the police," he said.

"Tonight?" Kathryn asked. "That's a long time to wait."

"I want to give myself enough time to find Brian and get out without getting myself in trouble," Ethan said. "Let's just hope for the best and maybe we'll all be laughing about this tonight."

"I'm not laughing anytime soon."

"Just keep an eye out here," Ethan said. "I'll text you when I get there." He slipped his shoes on then headed out the door.

* * *

Ethan didn't have a car, but Kathryn let him borrow hers. She was going to call in sick since she didn't feel like going to work, so she didn't need the car anyway. She was still texting him off and on, saying she could have gone with him. Ethan continued to tell her no. If something bad happened, he would never have been able to forgive himself if she ended up hurt.

The address was right outside of the suburbs that he hadn't even known existed. In fact, he wasn't able to even see the place until he was pulling up in front of the gate. Clouds had rolled in from nowhere, promising what might be a rough storm. Ethan wanted to get in and out as fast as possible.

Ethan turned off the car and got out, walking up to the gate. It wasn't visibly locked, but it also looked as if it hadn't been opened in decades. Even so, he managed to squeeze himself between the bars. That obviously hadn't been the way Brian and the others got in, but he wasn't about to do too much exploring. The place was already creeping him out enough.

He pulled out his phone to update Kathryn on his current whereabouts, but stopped when his phone was dead. He couldn't remember what the battery life had been at, but he was almost positive that it had been nowhere near dead. Either he had been mistaken, or the GPS he had used to get here had drained his power.

Either way, no phone.

If he wasn't able to contact Kathryn by tonight she would call the police, so at least there was that if something ended up going wrong.

Hopefully nothing would go wrong. Hopefully Brian was okay.

Ethan hesitated for a moment as he moved forward then just decided to go for the front door. As he grew closer, he saw that the windows at the front were dusty. There was no way he could peek inside. He reached for the doorknob, hoping for it to be locked...

The door opened before he could touch it. Ethan immediately jumped back, prepared to scream as the door opened wider. A light came on from inside, revealing the man standing there.

The man was tall and dressed like a butler. Even so, Ethan was still wary. Brian's message had mentioned a big guy with a knife after all.

"You must be Ethan," the man said. He sounded as polite as he looked! "Brian said you might come." He stepped back, gesturing for Ethan to come inside.

Ethan didn't move from where he was standing a few feet from the door. "Brian?" he asked, trying to process everything that had been said. "I'm expected?"

The man said nothing, just waiting patiently for Ethan to go inside. Ethan looked around, wondering if all of this WAS actually just a joke. The answers were inside, so he walked in. The man closed the door behind him.

Inside was almost the complete opposite of outside. Outside had been dark and gloomy; inside was bright and damn near homey. But Ethan refused to let his gueard down no matter how comfortable the place made him feel.

"Right this way," Mr. Butler Man said, leading Ethan down a short hallway to the left.

Before following, Ethan stopped to ponder at a broken mirror there in front of the door. The longer he looked at it, there was just something about it that sent a chill down his spine.

He hurried after the butler.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Three**

Ethan was led down the hall to an even more brightly lit room. The decor was quickly forgotten the second he saw Brian sitting on one of the sofas. He hurried over to his friend, who stood at his approach, and gave him a hug.

"Hey, I knew you'd come," Brian said.

Ethan stepped back and looked at him. "What the hell, dude?" he started. "I thought you were, like, fucking dying after that message you left me!"

"Oh, yeah, sorry about that," Brian said. "There was a bit of a misunderstanding."

"A misunderstanding," Ethan said. Since he didn't understand any of it, he couldn't really argue that point. "So we can go home now?" He would prefer to have the whole story once they were away from this place. No matter how nice it looked on the inside, he couldn't forget the haunted house vibe he had walked into since before he squeezed through the front gate.

"I was told no," Brian said in response. "Which is why I've been here all night. But they've been nice about it."

"What about -"

"The guy with the knife?"

"Big guy with the knife," Ethan said, quoting Brian's message. "Was that a misunderstanding?"

Brian gave him a 'yes, I already told you that' look.

"Why can't we go home and should I be worried about the big guy with the knife?" Ethan asked.

Brian looked past Ethan. Looking over his shoulder, Ethan saw the butler standing there. "If you haven't guessed by now, the manor is cursed," Brian said. Ethan looked back at him. "I've believed that ever since I heard about this place. The storm blocking it off from the rest of the world is a dead giveaway."

Ethan was starting to believe this was a joke after all. "Fuck you," he said, not in the mood for jokes. "You had me so worried. And just for THIS? I'm going home." He turned to walk out, but the butler was blocking his path.

"Don't you think I've already tried leaving?" Brian asked. "And with that storm, you won't be able to get far."

"What about the friends you came here with?" Ethan asked, turning back to Brian. "They obviously left."

Brian looked at the butler. "Tell him what you told me," he said. Ethan turned back to the butler.

"No one can leave unless someone stays in their place," the butler said. "Brian remained in their place."

"So he can't leave?" Ethan asked.

"Unless you stay," Brian said. "But that's not an option. Both of us won't be able to go home."

"And if I test that theory?"

Brian walked over to Ethan and held up his arm, showing a healing scar on his arm. "When I tried to leave, something attacked me from the darkness," he said. "I wasn't about to test if it was just a one time thing."

Ethan touched the scar to see if it was real. There were stitches and his finger came away with a few drops of blood. A feeling of dread came over him. He had already been scared enough of what was outside that he COULD see. And now there might be something roaming around in the dark?

"Kathryn will call the police," Ethan said. "If I'm not back there by tonight -"

"I called the police before I called you last night," Brian said. "No one wants to come anywhere near this place."

"Then what?" Ethan asked. "I'm not leaving you here again."

"You wouldn't be able to go anyway," Brian said. "Not unless you decide to stay and I go."

"Then go," Ethan said. "Kathryn needs to know that we're okay." He pulled the keys to the car out of his pocket and handed them to Brian. "I'll figure something out. I'll be fine as long as I don't try to leave, right?" He looked over at the butler, who hesitated for a moment then nodded.

"A moment ago you thought I was joking around," Brian said.

"That was before I saw your arm," Ethan said. "I doubt you'd be willing to do that just for a lousy joke."

"At least I won't be too worried about leaving you here," Brian said. "The butler's a nice guy. So is the chef once you get to know him. Chef was the big guy with the knife."

"Oh," Ethan said. If it was just the two of them, shouldn't he feel more relaxed instead of more on guard? Why were they up here all alone to begin with? "Just make sure you don't freak Kathryn out."

Brian nodded. "I'll see what I can find out while I'm out," he said. "We'll bring you home." He gave Ethan another hug then followed the butler out.

* * *

Ethan suddenly found himself alone. It gave him a moment to let his sudden reality sink in. It could still be a joke, right? But the scar on Brian's arm...

He decided to ask more questions once the butler got back. While he waited, he took a look around. And the first thing that caught his attention was the portrait hanging over the fireplace. A blanket had been draped over it. To protect it from dust or hide it from viewers? He reached up to pull the blanket aside to reveal the portrait...

Ethan stepped away from the fireplace when he heard the butler returning. He didn't want to be caught snooping. Since he would be staying for a while, he might get a tour of the place. There would be plenty of time for snooping once everyone had gone to bed. If he stayed here even that long.

His gut feeling was telling him that he was going to be here for a long, long time.

"I really am sorry that all of this has happened to you," the butler said. He may have said it, but he didn't look sorry about it. "We'll make sure your stay here is comfortable."

"It's only you and the chef here?" Ethan asked. He didn't want to stay here, but his curiosity was winning over everything else. "Brian only talked about the two of you."

"Brian never left this room," the butler said. "He only met the chef because we knew he needed to eat."

"So there's more than just you two," Ethan said. He hadn't seen any sign of the chef. How many others were actually here? "I know it's a pretty big place -"

"You'll see more of everyone the longer you stay," the butler said. "I'm sure they'll be excited to have a guest again."

"Then why was Brian confined to this room?" Ethan asked. That hadn't been said specifically, but he had understood the implication.

"He wasn't willing to stay," the butler said. That was all he said of the matter. "Would you like a tour?"

Ethan didn't press further about Brian. Even knowing that Ethan would be stuck here, Brian still hadn't been willing to stay with him. He had taken Ethan's offer to leave pretty quickly. But Ethan knew that his friend would find a way to get Ethan home.

"Sure," Ethan said then followed the butler.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Four**

Ethan was shown around the house. Mansion, he thought. The place looked even bigger on the inside. He followed the butler down the hall to the kitchen then down another hall to the dining room. Everything was brightly lit. And the more he saw of the house, the more he started feeling comfortable. At home. The butler didn't say much about each room, but he didn't have to.

He stopped when they passed stairs that led up into darkness. "What's up there?" Ethan asked. The butler hadn't even noticed he had stopped until Ethan spoke up.

The butler, Benjamin he said his name was, came back to stand beside Ethan. He looked up at the stairs then back at Ethan. "That leads to the Master's room," he said. "You're not allowed to go up there. Now, follow me." He turned to continue the tour.

"Why not?"

Benjamin turned back a bit reluctantly. "There are rules in this manor," he said. "It'd be best to follow them. Before something worse happens."

Ethan thought back to whatever had cut Brian's arm and nodded his head. Benjamin looked relieved then continued the tour.

Ethan didn't pay much attention to the rest of the tour. Curiosity was taking hold of him. Part of him WANTED to go up that dark stairway. The sensible part of him wanted to stay away from anything that even LOOKED threatening. The sensible part of him was losing the tug of war going on in his head.

"Who's the Master?" Ethan spoke up for the first time since the dark stairway. "Why haven't I met him?"

"He doesn't take kindly to guests," Benjamin said. "The last guest he had cursed him and the manor."

"Gotcha," Ethan said. "How long has this place been cursed?"

"It's felt like a lifetime," Benjamin said. "It's been fifteen years."

"Damn," Ethan murmured. At 22 years old, fifteen years ago he had been a small child. "So you were pretty young back then." The butler didn't seem to be too much older than himself.

"I should have been older by now," Benjamin said. "The curse slowed time for us. We won't be free to live normal lives until the curse is broken."

"Broken?" Ethan asked. "So this won't be a forever thing?" Now there was hope that he would get out of this. But if time slowed down...he might be here longer than he thought he'd be. "How do you break the curse?"

"You don't have to concern yourself with that," Benjamin said. In other words: he knew how, but Ethan couldn't help.

"Is it like a true love's kiss thing?" Ethan asked. His only experience with curses was watching those fairy tale movies as a kid.

Benjamin didn't look like he wanted to share any details about the curse. "If I help break the curse, we're all happy," Ethan added.

Sighing, Benjamin gave in. But not in the way Ethan wanted. "You'll have to ask the Master about that," he said. "If you ever see him."

"Not a social guy in general, hates guests...sounds like a fun guy," Ethan said, a bit sarcastically.

"You have no idea," Benjamin said then continued on with the tour.

* * *

Ethan met the Chef at dinner. It was easy to understand why Brian had been afraid of the guy. With a knife, the man was terrifying.

After dinner, Ethan was shown to his room then left alone.

Pacing back and forth in the room, sleep would be damn near impossible at this point. Ethan thought over everything he had heard and seen. It was a lot of information he probably wouldn't get used to. It would probably be easier for everyone if he did, but he was essentially a prisoner. Willing, but still a prisoner.

He walked over to the window when he heard rain starting to fall. It was too dark to see anything outside. Even when the lightning flashed, he could still see nothing. By the sound of the wind, the storm would get worse, so there would be even less to see later on. He pulled the curtain closed then stepped away from the window.

Sulking wouldn't help anyone.

Snooping might.

He walked over to the door and poked his head out, looking up and down the hallway. He didn't see or hear any sign of anyone. He stepped out, closing the door silently behind him. He headed down the hall, coming across no one. He took another look around then headed downstairs.

* * *

Benjamin walked into the kitchen where Chef was finishing up with washing the dishes. They couldn't leave a mess around, the Master would be upset. Especially a mess that would hint at a guest staying.

"It's just askin' for trouble, letting him stay here," Chef said, speaking of Ethan. "That bullshit story -"

"No one asked for your opinion," Benjamin said. He set a plate of food on a tray. The Master's meal. "Just clean the dishes."

"I don't like this," Chef said. "First time in fifteen years guests start showin' up? And only a few months before -"

"It's not just convenient timing," Benjamin said after he was finished preparing the tray. He picked it up. "It's fate."

"You're just assuming he's the on that can break the curse," Chef said. "You know what they say about assuming."

Benjamin ignored him and left the kitchen, heading up the dark stairway Ethan had noticed earlier.

* * *

Ethan walked into the room the butler had brought him to when he arrived. The lights were off except for a single candle lit by the sofa. He picked it up and walked over to the fireplace. To the hidden portrait. He didn't know why he was the most curious about that. He might have found something more interesting up those stairs Benjamin said he wasn't allowed to go up.

He reached up and pulled the blanket down, revealing the portrait. It had grown yellow with age. It gave off the feeling that those fifteen years Benjamin spoke of had lasted much longer than the butler had said. But that wasn't what caught his attention the most.

There was a long slash through the face of the man pictured. Ethan couldn't tell what the man had looked like. All he could see was the old-fashioned suit he was wearing.

Ethan reached up and touched the silk fabric the portrait was made out of. He ran his fingers along the torn fabric. Whoever had done this hadn't liked the portrait, obviously. So why was it still up? True, it had been covered, but no one had bothered taking it down.

"Who are you?"

The voice startled Ethan. He dropped the candle, which went out before it hit the floor. He quickly turned to see a figure standing in the doorway. It was too dark now to see anything else.

"I was just looking around, sorry," Ethan said before realizing that wasn't an answer to the question. "I'm Ethan. I'm staying...here..." He trailed off, remembering what Benjamin had said about the Master not liking guests.

He didn't know how he knew, but the person standing there was none other than the mysterious Master of this manor.

"You need to leave," the Master said, still standing in the shadows. Lightning flashed outside, casting light through the window. Ethan only caught a glimpse of a red robe the man was wearing. "Now."

Ethan didn't bother pointing out that he was told he couldn't leave. Or even about the fact that it was storming out. He just knew he had to leave. He ran past the man and out of the room and down the hall to the entrance.

He shoved the door open and ran out into the night.

* * *

Finding the Master's room empty, Benjamin set the tray down and headed back downstairs. He made it downstairs just in time to see Ethan running down the hall and out the door. He hurried to the room he had seen Ethan come out of.

The Master was there, replacing the blanket over the portrait above the fireplace. A fire had been started. He didn't turn, but he knew Benjamin was standing there.

"You know how I feel about guests," the Master said. His voice was deeper than usual. But he didn't sound angry, just annoyed. "Especially when -"

"You scared him off," Benjamin said. "You know he won't make it to the gate."

"Then we won't have to worry about him anymore."

"He has friends on the other side," Benjamin said. "His death will be on you." He knew it wouldn't mean much, but he was hoping to get the man thinking.

Benjamin turned and left. He headed out into the night to go after Ethan.

Hopefully It hadn't got him yet.

* * *

Ethan couldn't see much in the dark and the rain, but his desire to leave was overriding all of his other feelings. Whatever might be hiding out in the darkness didn't even concern him anymore. After meeting the Master of the manor, a worse evil was waiting behind him in that house. He would take his chances with whatever might be waiting for him at the gate.

He could run, he wouldn't have to worry about being chased. And if the worst thing that could happen was a scratch on the arm...

He came to a halt just by instinct. Over the sound of the downpour, something had rustled about in the bushes. Ethan turned and backed up then turned again when he heard a similar noise behind him.

After a few more turns he got lost and was unable to discern which way the front gate was. But the manor still loomed over him in a dark shadow, so he headed straight away from it. Surely he would walk into something.

What he walked into was the last thing he wanted.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Five**

Ethan had expected to see the gate first thing. And if not the gate, then the wall that surrounded the manor. What he hadn't expected was the dark figure that rose up before him. It had come out of the darkness. He wasn't able to see much of it because of the rain. And whenever lightning flashed, it was just a big, dark blur.

But he knew danger when he saw it.

He started to turn and run back the way he had come, but he tripped on something, falling face first into the mud. And when he looked back, he saw that he hadn't tripped on anything. The dark thing had grabbed him.

Ethan let out a terrified scream as the thing started to drag him. His imagination got the best of him and he was convinced this thing was taking him back to its cave where it would precede to skin him alive before devouring him.

A flash of light that wasn't lightning caught his attention. Ethan screamed for help repeatedly as he was dragged along the muddy ground, each time louder than the last. He wasn't sure anything could be heard over the storm.

Then something attacked the dark creature from behind. It let go. Ethan scrambled away as fast as he could when he saw claws appear, swiping at whatever had attacked it.

Ethan screamed again when something grabbed him, but relaxed when he saw that it was the butler. Benjamin was holding an umbrella over them, shielding them from the rain. He was also holding a flashlight. The flash of light he had spotted.

"We need to get inside," Benjamin said, helping Ethan to his feet. He shined the flashlight in the direction they needed to go.

"What the -" Ethan started, pointing back toward the struggle that was happening. Benjamin grabbed his arm and started away without saying anything. Ethan didn't resist. The last place he wanted to stay was here.

Ethan didn't relax fully until they were back inside. Benjamin left the door open, keeping an eye outside. Other people had shown up, all looking surprised to see Ethan, but they did as they were told when Benjamin gave them instructions.

Soaked and dripping, Ethan walked over to where Benjamin was standing at the open door. Servants returned with towels, part of Benjamin's instructions, but Ethan ignored them. "What the hell was that thing?" he asked.

"The curse that keeps us here," Benjamin said, shining the flashlight outside. Ethan looked out, but couldn't see anything. "It scratched your friend."

Those claws reappeared in his mind's eye. Ethan shivered, from the cold or fear, he didn't know. "I'm surprised it didn't tear him apart," he said.

Benjamin looked at him. "It didn't tear you apart," he said then looked down.

Ethan followed his gaze and saw that the legs of his jeans were torn from the knees down. He saw scratches on his legs, but was in too much shock to feel any pain.

"Go with the servants," Benjamin said. "You're safe now."

Ethan looked back at Benjamin. "What attacked that thing?" he wanted to know.

"The Master."

* * *

Ethan was cleaned up and given a new set of clothes. The servants seemed like they wanted to get away from the unwanted guest as fast as possible, yet they seemed eager and relieved to be doing something. He was taken to his room where the clothes had been dropped off and then he had been left alone.

The clothes were a bit baggy, but at least he was clean and out of the rain. And away from whatever creature had tried to drag him away.

Ethan headed out of his room. He wasn't sure what he was planning to do or where he was going, but he felt like he needed to find the Master. He had saved Ethan's life. Of course, he had also been the one that had scared Ethan off in the first place, but Ethan was willing to overlook that detail.

He didn't see any sign of anyone as he walked down the hall. He headed downstairs and over to the stairway Benjamin had said he wasn't allowed. If the Master was nowhere else, he had to be up those stairs.

"Ethan."

He turned when he heard the butler's voice. Benjamin walked over, glancing up the stairs once as if he had known Ethan had been about to go up there.

But was it actually still forbidden? Ethan had just figured he hadn't been allowed to go up because his presence was supposed to have been kept secret from the Master.

"The Master would like to speak with you," Benjamin said then turned and walked off, expecting Ethan to follow.

Ethan followed and he was led to the den where he had been first brought to. A fire was going now, but what caught his attention first was the portrait hanging above the fireplace. The blanket that had been covering it was nowhere in sight.

He jumped, startled at the sound of the doors sliding closed behind him. Benjamin had brought him here then left. Ethan was now alone with the Master. He was suddenly nervous, remembering the last time this had happened...

"Are you going to sit down or stand there the whole time?" The voice came from the chair in front of the fireplace. It was a high-backed chair, so Ethan would have to walk around it to see who was sitting there.

Ethan cautiously walked forward, stepping around the sofa that was placed beside the chair. There were no other lights on, but the fire cast plenty of light to see by. So he was able to clearly see the man sitting in the chair.

It was another sight he hadn't been prepared for. He couldn't determine how old the man was because his face was covered with scars. Ethan's first thought was the creature outside had done this to him, but the scars were aged. His hair was long enough to hide a lot of it, but putting it bluntly, the man was disfigured. And he made no move to hide it, so he was used to someone looking at him. Well, he did have a lot of servants.

"People used to stare at me a different way," the Master said when Ethan just stood there. "With adoration. Now it's just with horror or disgust." He looked back up at the portrait. "I prefer being alone now."

Ethan looked at the portrait, guessing that it had been a self portrait. "I'm only here because of my friend," he said.

"I don't see your friend here," the Master said. "Benjamin sold you that bullshit story, I know. That you can't leave unless someone stays in your place."

"That's not true?"

"It's better than the truth," the Master said. "You can leave at any time. I recommend during the day, though. Dark's a nasty son of a bitch."

"Dark?"

"A little pet name for what you met tonight," the Master said. "Better than calling it the Curse."

Ethan sat down on the sofa, facing the chair. "Thanks by the way," he said. "For saving me."

"Should've let it drag you away," the Master said. "But I was told you had family on the outside."

"You don't strike me as the type to care about family," Ethan said, speaking before thinking.

The eyes that turned to him were hard and angry. "You assume too much."

"Am I wrong?" Ethan asked. "You've been trapped here for fifteen years. Benjamin's like a whipped dog on a leash."

"Careful or I might regret saving you."

"Sounds like you already do."

Ethan knew he was just lashing back because this wasn't how someone was supposed to react to thanks. He should just be grateful that he was still alive after what happened.

"I brought you here to tell you that as soon as it's light out, leave," the Master said. He stood and walked over to the window, his back to Ethan.

"Why don't the people who work for you know that I can leave whenever I want?" Ethan asked. "Why did you let them believe something other than the truth?"

The Master was silent for a long time. Ethan realized he didn't even know the man's name. He had never wondered until this point. But did it matter if he was going to be leaving soon?

"You have your reasons," Ethan said before the other could say anything. "And now I have my reasons for staying." He stood up. "I know about the curse and I know that curse is on more than just you. Even though you seem to have gotten the worst of it."

"Your point being?"

"I want to help," Ethan said. "There's a lot of people here who can't have regular lives. I want to give them that."

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into," the Master said. "How do you know that this curse can even be broken?"

"Benjamin said -"

"Benjamin told you a lot of things," the Master said, turning away from the window. With no other light besides the fire, he was standing in shadow. "Some things he might even be guessing at."

"Do you believe you'll be cursed forever?" Ethan asked. He couldn't see the man's eyes in the shadows, but he saw his head turn. Ethan followed that gaze, looking at the portrait hanging above the fireplace. He didn't have to ask to know what the other was thinking.

The scars and deformity were part of the curse. Ethan could easily put it all together and guess that the Master had once valued his appearance above everything else. Why else would someone hang such an elaborate self portrait in a room they spent a lot of time in? He wondered how many other portraits were on display. Would they all be destroyed like this one? Or would there still be one untouched to show what the man had once really looked like?

"Looks were important in my line of work," the Master said, lifting one hand to his face. "It landed you the part."

"You were an actor?" Ethan asked. It had explained the Master's earlier comment. That people had looked at him with adoration. "Popular?" He was only asking that because if this guy had been popular, he would have heard about him. Especially since Brian and Kathryn worked in the show business scene.

The Master chuckled. "I was popular way before your time," he said. "You wouldn't have heard of me. My fans were the only ones who loved me. Once I disappeared...the people I worked with probably just let me fade away."

"It's been longer than fifteen years, hasn't it?"

"It's been twenty-seven years, in fact," the Master said. "The servants don't know. If they did..."

"You're afraid they'll leave," Ethan said. "You've been doing a lot of lying to them. Time isn't just moving slow for you all."

The Master gave a slight nod. "We're frozen in time until the curse is broken or..." He looked away, trailing off.

Ethan knew how curses worked. In fairy tales, of course. He had seen enough movies. "You have a time limit," he said. "I'm guessing that time's almost up."

"It's best if you just leave."

"Maybe," Ethan said. "I told Benjamin I could help break the curse. He told me I had to talk to you about that."

"This isn't a fairy tale," the Master said. "This is real life. Happy endings don't exist. You'll gain nothing by staying here. In fact, you might end up cursed yourself."

"And what happens when I leave?" Ethan asked. "They'll know you lied to them. Then they'll start asking questions. And then they'll leave. If you're gonna be cursed forever, you don't want to be alone."

The silence stretched on for a long time.

"Better get used to seeing me around," Ethan said then left the room.

He never saw the ghost of a smile on the Master's face.

* * *

Brian went straight to the apartment he shared with Ethan and Kathryn. When he walked through the door, Kathryn was relieved to see him, but then started asking questions about Ethan. He didn't have the time for that. He asked to use her phone since his own was dead. He called the police, knowing they hadn't helped him before, but he wanted to try again.

He didn't know how to explain the situation. Ethan technically wasn't in any danger. The police said they couldn't help him. And then hung up when he gave the address of the manor. He should have expected that since they hadn't helped last night.

"What's going on, Brian?" Kathryn asked.

Brian knew she wouldn't believe him. Not unless she had been there and he wasn't about to get her stuck. He wasn't sure what else to do.

Then an idea struck him.

"Everything's gonna be fine," Brian said then left the apartment once again.

* * *

The colonel sat in his office. There was a party going on in his house. A party he felt he hadn't needed to attend. The people here were all people who thought they liked him. If he was anyone else, they wouldn't have even bothered to come. But he was okay with that. This was the way it was always meant to be.

The door opened and Abe walked in, followed by another man. "Someone here to see you," Abe said. "His name's Brian." The Colonel had known the Detective for years. If things had turned out differently, Abe never would have been working for him.

Will picked up his martini glass. "Does he have an appointment?" he asked, amused. He had always wanted to ask that.

"He says he's here about Ethan," Abe said. That got Will's attention. He put his drink down, gesturing them over.

"Come in, come in," Will invited, looking at Brian. He had never met him, but he could remember seeing him around with Ethan. "Has Ethan accepted my job offer?"

"Uh...yes," Brian said, sitting down at the invite. "But he's hit a bit of a snag. He accepted another job offer that he can't get out of."

"Unless he goes to court?" The Colonel guessed. After a brief reluctance, he was answered with a nod. "I'll take care of it. Where is he working?"

Brian gave him the address and he could practically feel the silence that descended on the room. He wasn't sure what else to say, so he stayed quiet. He absolutely couldn't say what was on his mind.

That if the Colonel went and Ethan somehow got him to stay in his place, then a lot could be solved in one swoop. Ethan wouldn't have to worry about the Colonel badgering him for a job anymore.

Easy.

"We'll take care of it," Will said. He nodded and Abe led the other out. He sat back in his seat behind his desk, thinking. He had his mind made up by the time Abe came back alone.

"It looks like our dear friend Mark has returned," Will said.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Six**

Ethan woke up the next morning, hearing rain against the window. But no thunder or lightning. The storm had calmed down a bit. He would have preferred a little sunlight, but he was okay with just the rain. At least it wasn't pitch dark outside.

He sat up in bed, noticing a box on the table by the door. He rolled out of bed and padded over to it, picking up the note that was there. It read,

Had the personal tailor make you some clothes. Don't ask how he knew your size. He just knows. ~Benjamin

And at the bottom of the note: P.S. feel free to join the Master for breakfast.

Ethan put the note down then looked inside the box. He was used to wearing jeans and a t-shirt, but everything in the box were dress pants and button-up shirts. The fabric felt comfortable though. And when he got dressed, he didn't feel dressed up. He could curl up in bed in these clothes and not feel weird about it, they were so comfortable.

He put on his shoes then stepped out of the room. Someone must have been looking out for him because a maid walked up to escort him downstairs to the dining room.

The table was set for two, though at least a dozen people could sit at it. The Master was sitting at the head of the table, already eating. Ethan sat down without a word. Benjamin came out of nowhere, setting a plate of breakfast down. Ethan thanked him then he and the Master were alone.

Ethan looked at his plate. Eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, toast... He wasn't sure he would be able to eat it all, but once he started eating, he realized he was practically starving. When was the last time he had eaten? He couldn't remember. After his brush with the creature outside, he had slept most of yesterday.

"Ever been to the theater?"

Ethan looked up from his plate when the Master spoke up. "Like a play?" he asked. He shrugged. "Once or twice. I don't get out much. And when I do get out I'm either working or looking for work."

"Well, I have something to show you once you're finished eating."

* * *

Ethan followed the Master to a room. A home theater. There was a screen, but also a stage. The stage was decorated with props. Benjamin showed Ethan to his seat while the Master went onstage. Benjamin handed Ethan a booklet then walked away.

Ethan looked down at the booklet and that was how he learned the Master's name: Mark Fischbach. But there was no picture. Only a list of movies and plays he had starred in, giving a brief summary of each. And other than his name, nothing about Mark's life was mentioned.

There was a pattern to his acting. Mark played the same kind of role in all his movies: arrogant and rich. Because he had been the same way in his real life? It was a typecast. No wonder he had faded away so easily. People usually got tired of the same thing over and over again.

Ethan looked up from the booklet as the lights dimmed. A spotlight shone on the stage. And for the next couple of hours, Ethan watched Mark act out one of his more famous plays.

Servants played the roles of the other characters, but none of them were actors. Mark stole the show with ease.

The name of the play was 'Billionaire.' And as the title suggested, it was about the life of a billionaire. He built up a company and his life was perfect and that was how it stayed. There was no conflict, nothing that went wrong to humble the billionaire. And it just ended like that. It wasn't that great of a play, but Mark's performance was still top notch.

Mark hadn't performed for anyone in years, but he was still the best actor Ethan had ever seen. It was obvious that this was something Mark loved doing.

Ethan walked up to the stage after the play was over. "That was great," he said. The look Mark gave him said he didn't believe him. "The story needs a little work, but you did great."

"Thanks," Mark said. "But it's hard to give my best in that role when..." he trailed off, gesturing to his face.

"Looks don't make the best actor," Ethan said. "You just need the right role. It's obvious you've grown out of the roles you used to play."

"And all it took was one bad day." Mark was bitter when it came to his looks. A new role might help.

"If I wrote you a script, would you play the role?" Ethan asked.

Mark looked a little doubtful. Because he didn't think Ethan could write something worthy of his time? Or was he worried that Ethan wouldn't stick with the kind of roles Mark was used to playing? Ethan remained silent, not wanting to say anything that might make things worse.

"All right," Mark said, breaking the silence. "But on one condition," He lifted one finger. "You have to act in it, too."

"But I'm not an actor."

"You might end up being one the longer you stay here."

"Is that supposed to scare me away?"

Mark smirked, providing no answer to that. "You have until tomorrow," he said. "Amaze me."

That wasn't a lot of time to write anything too long, but it was enough time to come up with something. Especially since there really wasn't anything else to do around the manor.

"Tomorrow," Ethan nodded. "Take it easy today 'cause you're gonna be WOW'd tomorrow!" He turned and ran out of the room, ideas already rolling around in his mind.

* * *

Mark walked up to the mirror the Enchantress had given him to view whatever he desired. He had never needed to use it because there wasn't anyone or anything here or in the outside world that he had cared about. But he used it now to view Ethan upstairs in his room.

"Normal people might find that a bit creepy," Benjamin said, walking up to stand beside Mark. "But at least you're putting the mirror to good use."

"He didn't like my play," Mark said, keeping his eyes on the image of Ethan in the mirror. "He wanted to write a script for me."

"If I remember correctly, you didn't even like that play," Benjamin said. "Why did you choose that one to show him?"

"Because that was my life before..." Mark trailed off, looking down at his hands. They were covered in scars, deformed like the rest of his body, but if he didn't pamper his nails daily, they grew into claws.

It wasn't always that bad. His appearance grew worse with every petal that fell. Once his time was up, a literal beast he would become.

"Maybe he's the one to break the spell," Benjamin said quietly.

Mark looked back at the mirror. Ethan was working diligently at the script. The image faded away, replaced by Mark's own reflection. He turned away in disgust.

"I can't expect anyone to love what I am," Mark said then walked away.

* * *

Ethan had been working on the script for the last few hours. Despite his assurances to Mark, he didn't think he would be anywhere close to done by tomorrow. He barely had anything done in the few hours he had been writing. His hand was cramping and he was about to give up completely.

A knock came at his door and Benjamin walked in, pulling a cart. At first Ethan thought it was already time for dinner then he noticed the projector. An old way to watch movies. Ethan put his pen down and stood up.

"What's this?" Ethan asked as Benjamin set it up in one corner. The projector faced an empty wall.

"Just in case you were having trouble with the script," Benjamin said. Ethan didn't ask how he knew about the script. "I've brought along a few of the Master's favorite movies, along with a few of his better ones."

Ethan sat down on the edge of the bed. "How is this going to help with the script?" he asked.

"You need to know him," Benjamin said as he closed the curtains to make it darker in the room.

Ethan hadn't noticed before, but there was no electric lights. There were only oil lamps and candles. Natural light from outside provided the most like to see by. No electricity certainly made the lighting in the theater more impressive.

Benjamin started the projector and a movie started playing. Love Isn't Fair, starring Mark Fischbach. "And if that doesn't work, the Master will be in the den until midnight," he said. He gave a nod of his head then left the room, closing the door.

Ethan looked at the "screen" as the movie played. He guessed that it was one of Mark's first movies because he looked younger than he did now. Of course, the curse might have aged him, but this movie was a lot different than the play and the movies that had been mentioned in that booklet Ethan had been given.

This movie didn't portray Mark as the arrogant rick boy like all of his other movies. He was more down to earth in this one. It was the cliche boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, each suffer heartache, then find love again and live happily ever after. By the end of the movie, despite Mark's skills at acting, it was obvious that he was no longer enjoying the film.

What had happened?

Ethan started the next movie. Mark looked a little bit older and a lot more confident and comfortable. Something Ethan noticed right away: gone was the cliche love story. And thinking back to the booklet, none of Mark's other movies had a love interest.

Plenty of good movies didn't have romance, but it would explain why no one had liked working with Mark. He had evidently refused being in any movie with a love interest. Something had happened during that first movie.

Ethan played the first movie again, watching more closely this time. It was during the last love scene that Ethan picked up on Mark's issue with the movie. It had something to do with the actress playing his love interest. It wouldn't be noticeable to most people watching. Ethan had watched the movie again and again so many times, seeing something new each time. He still didn't know the whole story, but it was clear that the lead actor hated the lead actress. But the lead actress seemed to REALLY like the lead actor.

Ethan shut off the projector then left his room, heading downstairs. He didn't know what time it was, only that it was now late at night. Ethan had spent all day watching that movie. But even though it was late, Ethan found Mark in the den, as Benjamin had said he would.

"What happened on the set of Love Isn't Fair?" Ethan asked, getting right to the point. He wasn't sure how Mark would feel talking about the movie, but Ethan needed to know.

Need or just want? Ethan was slowly becoming obsessed with a certain actor...

Obsessions can be unhealthy, he told himself.

"I knew it was bad luck to keep those movies around," Mark said.

"Benjamin thought it'd help with the script," Ethan said, pausing for a moment. "I won't have that done by tomorrow."

Mark gestured to the sofa by his chair. "You want to know about Love Isn't Fair," he said. Ethan walked over and sat down, his eyes on Mark. "What happened on set was exactly what the title suggests." He didn't seem bothered with talking about it. Had he known what Benjamin had done, or had he put Benjamin up to it just so this talk could happen?

Ethan would save his questions for later.

"It was my first movie, my first experience in the 'big leagues,' " Mark went on. "Her name was Celine. And I thought she was the love of my life. You saw what happened in the movie. It felt real to me. She made me believe it was real. Little did I know that it really was just an act.

"Once she had me good and hooked, she reeled me in for her fun," Mark continued, anger creeping into his voice. "She was friends with some of the crew on set. She thought it would be fun to watch them have sex with me. I resisted and tried to leave, but it happened anyway. Afterward, she told me that if I said anything to anyone, she would make sure I'd never get another job in Hollywood. I could do nothing but finish the movie."

Ethan didn't know what to say. All of his questions seemed irrelevant now.

"The second you let someone get close to you intimately, the second they actually fuck you over. So I never had another love interest. In movies or in real life," Mark said. He let the silence linger a bit this time. "Was that what you wanted to know? Good luck with that helping the script. Take as much time as you need." He stood up and walked out.

Ethan knew that Mark wasn't mad at him. The story had just made old feelings resurface. Mark could have opted out of telling Ethan anything. He had that right, but he had chosen to say something. Because Ethan had asked? It had confirmed that Mark had known about Benjamin showing Ethan those movies.

Because of what Benjamin had said: You need to know him.

Ethan wanted to know more.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Seven**

Ethan stayed up most of the night watching Love Isn't Fair. The later it got, the more it felt like something was nagging at him. Something that Mark had said? He couldn't put his finger on it. But then he forgot all about it as his eyes grew heavy and he drifted off to sleep.

He woke with a start some hours later, thunder rumbling. Ethan walked over to the window and looked out. He couldn't tell if it was morning or still night. It was dark and stormy again. He backed away from the window when he thought he saw something lurking around the grounds, images of that creature's claws flashing in his mind's eye.

The door to the bedroom opened, so it wasn't in the middle of the night. "Breakfast is being served in the theater this morning," Benjamin announced. "The Master has an announcement for this evening's activities."

"Will everyone be there?" Ethan asked. It wasn't usual for the rich to dine with the servants, but then again, nothing about this place was usual.

"It will be a full house," Benjamin said. "Better hurry and get ready." He turned and left, the door closing behind him.

Once dressed, Ethan headed downstairs to the theater. He walked in to see most of the seats taken. He had half expected to see more people here. There wasn't as many servants as Ethan had at first thought. He walked further in, seeing a spot saved for him on the front row. He sat down and a table of breakfast was rolled up to him.

On the tray by the food was a note. All it said was: Be ready for tonight. Mark had signed it. Ethan wasn't sure what that was about, but figured Mark would explain during his announcement. So Ethan sat quietly and enjoyed his breakfast for now.

A few minutes later, Benjamin stood on stage, asking for everyone's attention. When everyone had quieted down, Benjamin stepped down, Mark taking his place. Ethan, who had gotten used to Mark's appearance in Love Isn't Fair, was painfully reminded of Mark's current predicament. He felt bad for feeling that way. Did he really care that much about the way Mark looked?

"Thank you all for taking the time to come and listen," Mark began. "I know you're all thinking you have better things to do right now than listen to me. You've probably had enough of me all these years." There was a brief awkward silence, but Mark didn't let it go on. "I won't take up much of your time. I just wanted to announce the show I'm putting on tonight." He looked at Ethan on the front row. "You've done a bit of acting, haven't you?"

Ethan didn't really like being put on the spot. "Uh...I've taken a few improv classes," he said. "But -"

"Great," Mark cut him off, looking back to the rest of his audience. "Tonight Ethan and I will be putting on a show for all of you, so be back here for some fun entertainment." He stepped off the stage and headed out of the room.

Ethan got up from his seat and hurried after Mark, catching up to him out in the hall. "When did I give you the impression that I have the talent you think I have?"

Mark stopped and turned to him. "Since you agreed to be part of the play you were supposed to be writing for me," he said. "I'm making a compromise. You be in this play and you won't have to write that one."

All the time he should have been working on that play, Ethan had been re-watching Love Isn't Fair anyway. "So in other words, you're punishing me for not getting the play done in the time you gave me," Ethan said.

"Show business isn't easy."

"I can't even back down because you've already told everyone!"

"I warned you beforehand."

"Be ready for tonight?!" Ethan quoted the note. "That's some warning!"

Was it just the scars, or was Mark amused by Ethan's frustration? "You have the right to back out if you don't want to do it," Mark said.

"I'm not a fucking coward."

"Then be ready for tonight," Mark said then turned and continued walking down the hall.

"Oh, I will!" Ethan called after him, the desire to prove himself overcame everything else. "And it'll be the best damn show they've ever seen!"

Ethan turned to go back to his breakfast, nervous as hell.

* * *

Ethan stood in his room later that day in front of the mirror. Practicing? He didn't know what he was practicing for. Mark had just told him to be ready. Was it going to be a play similar to Billionaire? Were they just going to go on stage and wing it? Was this going to be an improv show?

Mark was an actor. A professional. He would surely outshine anything Ethan did. But if something embarrassing happened, that would be what would be talked about the most. And Ethan KNEW he would be the one embarrassed.

"You do this, you don't have to write the play," Ethan said to himself. "That's a load off, right? Yeah..." He turned and walked away from the mirror and began pacing back and forth.

Was he really nervous about getting up in front of maybe thirty people? He had been ridiculed in front of more people when he had worked as a waiter. Stage fright wasn't the issue here. He was nervous because he didn't know if he was funny enough to do an improv show.

If this WAS an improv show...

Ethan continued pacing, muttering to himself. It took him a few minutes to realize he had started quoting Love Isn't Fair. He hadn't realized he had memorized the movie so well. Would he start throwing out lines from the movie while he was on stage with Mark? He didn't want to accidentally conjure up bad memories for Mark in front of everyone.

He headed downstairs to the theater. Nobody was there yet, but the stage had been supplied with props. He walked up on stage and over to a box of props. He pulled out a wooden sword and waved it around, pretending to be a knight.

In his head, he imagined a scene, where he was a knight in shining armor, off to rescue the princess. Complete with dragon slaying.

He didn't notice that Mark was sitting in the back, watching him.

Ethan played around with a few more props, familiarizing himself with everything. Giving himself time to grow comfortable with being on stage. He even imagined a full house, every seat filled. Every pair of eyes looking his way. He expected stage fright to hit him right then, but he actually felt excited. The thought of making so many people happy appealed to him.

"You need to work on your wardrobe."

The sound of Mark's voice stopped Ethan cold. Ethan turned as Mark came walking up to the stage. Ethan took the time to look down at himself where he had just thrown on an assortment of clothing he had gotten from the boxes.

"How...how long were you watching?" Ethan asked. Now he was back to being nervous. The embarrassing thing that he had been afraid of happening had just happened. And as he had expected, he had been the cause of said embarrassing moment.

"I was here before you," Mark said. "You looked like you were having fun. I felt left out."

Ethan pulled a scarf off himself then stepped up to Mark, reaching up and wrapping the scarf loosely around his neck. "There," Ethan said. "Now you're not left out."

This was the closest Ethan had stood to Mark. The scars on his face and neck were more pronounced up close. By instinct and not really thinking about it, Ethan touched Mark's face, his fingers lightly tracing the lines and scars. His skin was hard and dry, like a lizard. Ethan suddenly realized what he was doing when his eyes met Mark's. He quickly pulled his hand away and stepped back. The fact that Mark hadn't tried to stop him didn't even occur to him at first.

"You get used to it after a while," Mark said, talking about his skin. "It's different every year."

Ethan understood what was implied. "It gets progressively worse," he said. "Would you end up like...?"

"Dark?" Mark guessed, finishing Ethan's question. He shrugged his shoulders. "I wouldn't be surprised. It'd be a fitting end."

"I don't agree with that."

"It doesn't matter whether you do or not," Mark said, pulling the scarf off and dropping it into a box. "It can't be stopped."

"Benjamin believes it can."

Mark didn't say anything for a moment. "Everyone will be arriving soon," he said, ending the discussion. "I have to get ready." And then he left.

* * *

Mark dropped down onto a chair, the enchanted rose in front of him. And as he watched, slowly another petal fell, leaving only a few left. The time left ran out faster with every petal. What he had thought was a few months was probably just a few weeks now, if he was lucky. It might even be days. He didn't know for sure.

He looked down at his hands, which looked more haggard than they did a few minutes ago. What if the claws came back and he could do nothing to stop it?

Mark looked toward the window, hearing the growl of the creature, which could have been mistaken as thunder. Dark was the only one who knew Mark's fate. Because Dark had been created to show Mark what his future would be.

It was intended to scare him so he would learn his lesson. But he had meant what he had said to Ethan: it would be a fitting end.

He had lost all hope, there was no hiding that. Once the last petal fell, he would be doomed to live as a monster for eternity. And everyone else in the manor would never have normal lives. Immortality wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

Would Ethan share that fate if he stayed? The manor was a magical place, Mark could feel it. If Ethan was still here when the last petal fell, what would stop the manor from sealing up where it would be true that no one could leave?

Ethan didn't deserve this fate.

Mark stood and headed back downstairs. He had a show to perform. But after, he would make sure Ethan got out.

* * *

It was starting. Mark had come back and had already outshone Ethan just by the clothes he was wearing. Mark was wearing a navy blue suit, which looked ten times more comfortable than the black slacks and white button-up that Ethan was wearing. But Ethan didn't really mind. Mark was the star of the show and would remain so. Ethan was basically a stranger to this audience. He had only been here a few days.

A few days that had already felt like a lifetime.

Mark took off his suit jacket to address the crowd. He still looked good, but he was now a bit more informal. Ethan no longer felt as under dressed as he had before. Which was probably why Mark had removed the jacket. Mark certainly knew how to read his audience, even though Ethan was technically his costar.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the re-enactment of my first performance on the silver screen, Love Isn't Fair," Mark announced, taking Ethan by surprise. With that said, the lights went out for the scene to be set.

Ethan kept his voice low, barely above a whisper. "Did I hear you right?" he asked. "I thought -"

"Despite what happened, it was still my favorite performance," Mark whispered. Before anything else could be said, the lights came back on, signalling the start.

Ethan knew the movie by heart, not bothered by the fact that he was playing the female lead's part. If anything, he thought it would bother Mark, but maybe the fact that it was Ethan playing the part instead made it easier for Mark. Halfway through the performance, it was obvious how much Mark was enjoying himself, though at times it felt like he was holding back.

Then it was time for the big love scene. Up until this point, it had been easy to avoid the show of affection. It hadn't really been needed. All of the kisses that had been in the movie had just been for the viewers' benefit. People liked seeing that whether the plot needed it or not. Ethan wasn't sure how this scene could be avoided, but he would follow Mark's lead.

The scene was the two lead characters who had run away secretly after their parents openly stated that they were against the two being together. They had run away to be alone for what they thought was the last time.

In character, Mark turned to Ethan. " 'We can have what we always wanted, you and me,' " he said.

" 'A white picket fence? Seven kids?' " Ethan quoted from memory. Mark gave a wince. The wince Ethan had seen so many times in the movie. " 'Or maybe just a dog?' "

" 'Whatever gets us outta this godforsaken town,' " Mark said and then leaned in close. Just like in the movie.

In the movie, the scene faded to black, letting the viewers figure out with their imaginations what the two young lovers were doing in the dark. And now, on stage, the lights faded to darkness, hiding them from the viewers. Ethan wasn't sure who had moved first, but suddenly found himself locked in Mark's embrace, lips pressed together. Mark's skin might be rough, but his lips were soft. Ethan lost himself in the kiss.

He would have been lying to himself if he thought he had never imagined himself kissing Mark. The more Ethan learned about Mark, the more drawn to him he became. Was it just because of his obsession with Mark, or was it something more?

But then the moment was over. Mark pulled away right before the lights came back on. The performance continued right on schedule as if the kiss had never happened.

But Ethan would never forget it.

* * *

"Why did I kiss him?"

It was a few hours after the show. Mark was upstairs pacing back and forth in front of the table where the rose was displayed under its glass case. He did sometimes speak out loud to the rose as if it could respond, but this time Benjamin was in the room with him. He had asked to speak privately with the butler and then had confessed everything.

"I fail to see the issue here," Benjamin said. "I was under the impression that you wanted -"

"What I want isn't important!" Mark snapped. He stopped and turned to Benjamin. "I don't deserve to have what I want!"

"Don't beat yourself up over -"

"I was an asshole!" Mark said. "I deserve the fate that was handed to me."

"You admitting that is a step in the right direction," Benjamin said. "After all these years, aren't you tired of living this way? Ethan's your way out."

"I'm practically using him, it doesn't feel right," Mark said. "Which is why I'm letting him go." Part of his confession had been telling Benjamin that anyone could leave if they wanted to. Benjamin hadn't been upset that he had been lied to. Maybe, deep down, he had known the truth this whole time. He had forgiven Mark immediately, knowing the others would do the same.

Mark was loved by the people who worked for him and he hadn't even known it. But their love wasn't the love that mattered.

"You can't let him go," Benjamin said. He glanced past Mark at the rose. "Not when it's this close..."

Mark knew the risks. Ethan had even brought it to his attention. That it wasn't just Mark under the curse. Everyone in the manor was under the spell. Ethan would be too, if he was still here when the last petal fell.

"How I feel isn't enough," Mark said. "If he doesn't feel the same...he has to get out before it's too late."

Benjamin stayed silent for a moment. "I'll follow whatever you decide to do," he said. "But give it a few more days. Be with him. If nothing comes from it, then let him go."

"Again, using him -"

"What happened when you kissed him?"

Mark's thoughts went back to that moment on stage. The theater had been dark, no one had been able to see a thing. Ethan hadn't pulled away.

"He's obsessed with the way I was in Love Isn't Fair," Mark said. "It was dark. He imagined what I looked like back then." He gestured to himself. "He could never look at this face and feel desire."

"He might surprise you," Benjamin said then turned and left.

Mark remained standing there for a long time. The only noise, the rain spattering against the window. His thoughts were all a jumble. He turned and walked out of the room. The halls were empty and dark. Everyone had turned in for the night. He made his way through the empty halls and stopped at a door then knocked.

Ethan's voice came from inside: "Come in."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Eight**

Ethan was sitting by the window, a lit candle by his side. He had thought about watching Love Isn't Fair another time, but he would only be able to view it as himself and Mark and it wouldn't be the same. So he had gotten out the play he had been trying to work on. And even though he no longer had to, he still felt the need to. He was working on that when he heard the knock at his door. He said "come in" without even looking up from his paper.

"I'm surprised you're still awake."

Ethan looked up as Mark walked into the room, closing the door behind him. The only light in the room was the candle by Ethan, so Mark was standing in the shadows. Seeing Mark standing there took Ethan back to the darkness of that stage. The kiss...

Ethan's heart pounded in his chest.

"I...I couldn't sleep," Ethan said. "I decided to keep writing the play." That was only partly true. He had gotten out of bed to focus his mind on something else. Every time he closed his eyes to sleep, he kept thinking about that kiss. Once, he had drifted off to sleep only to have a vivid dream of Love Isn't Fair, the movie with himself taking Celine's place.

The love scene hadn't faded to black. It had been the most vivid dream he had ever had. It had woken him up and he had immediately gotten out of bed before his thoughts could stray further.

"You don't have to keep working on that play," Mark said. He walked forward and stopped at the edge of where the light reached, staying in shadows. Did he think Ethan preferred him in the dark?

"I needed something to do," Ethan said. He put the papers aside and picked up the candle. He stood, started toward Mark, but stopped when Mark retreated further into the shadows. "Is everything okay?"

"We need to talk."

"About the kiss."

Mark let the silence linger for a moment. "Yes."

Then Ethan understood. It explained why Mark was staying away from him now. It was a kiss that wasn't supposed to have happened. Mark had even said that he hadn't worked with another love interest. But was he regretting it now out of fear? Was he afraid that Ethan would somehow fuck him over like Celine had?

"Ethan -"

"We got carried away," Ethan said, walking over to place the candle on the night stand by the bed. "We were just acting out the movie."

"It...didn't mean anything..." Ethan wasn't sure if Mark's words were a question or a statement.

Ethan had his back to Mark, afraid that Mark would be able to pick up on his emotions. "So you came up here to tell me it'll never happen again," he said, hoping his voice didn't betray his feelings.

"That wasn't why at all."

Ethan paused then turned. Mark remained standing in the shadows. "It wasn't?"

"I wanted to prove something to myself," Mark said. "Turn out the light." That confirmed that Mark thought Ethan preferred him in the dark.

Instead, Ethan lit another candle then walked around the room, lighting candles until the entire room was bathed in light. He then turned and looked at Mark when he was done. "I want to see you."

And he meant what he said. Ever since that brief glimpse before the show. He wanted to see more. He knew it was more out of curiosity than anything else. When they had kissed, he had only been able to imagine the way Mark looked in Love Isn't Fair and that wasn't fair to Mark. And it was more curiosity than desire. The obsession he had was born out of fascination. The real reason he had decided to stay.

He felt like he was just using Mark for his own fascination. If that kiss turned into something more, it was just benefits to his obsession. Wasn't it?

So why did his heart race when Mark stepped closer to him, stopping a few steps away? Ethan was sure his pounding heart could be heard as Mark unbuttoned his shirt then pulled it off, followed by his undershirt. And then Mark was standing before him, shirtless.

Ethan wasn't sure what he had expected, but he never would have imagined it was this bad.

Mark's chest had similar scars and scratches like his face, but the scars on his chest and stomach looked newer. A large bruise covered on shoulder, three long gashes across his chest. Ethan couldn't help but wonder if some of these wounds were from when Mark had rescued Ethan from the creature outside his first day.

"Oh my god..." Ethan whispered without realizing.

Mark seemed like he had expected that reaction. "I can't remember the last time I took my shirt off for anyone," he said. "But if I'm honest, it was probably around the time of Love Isn't Fair."

Ethan stepped closer. Mark remained still as Ethan reached out and touched him. His fingers trailed across old scars and new. Mark didn't react to his touches. At least not outwardly. Ethan couldn't stop touching him. His skin was dry and rough, cracked in places. Almost as if he was shedding his skin.

"You ARE changing..." Ethan said quietly. And Mark had said it was a fate he deserved? If he hadn't believed it before, he did now. The evidence was right in front of him. His fingers drifted across Mark's abs.

"And I don't have a lot of time left before the change," Mark said. "You have to leave."

"Afraid I'll share the same fate?"

"Not the same," Mark said. "If you stay, you'll be cursed to live forever."

"And if you change..." Ethan trailed off, not completely sure of what he had been about to say. "But if I leave..."

"Benjamin knows you've always been free to go," Mark said. "You can't use that excuse anymore."

Ethan lifted his gaze, his eyes meeting Mark's. "But what if I'm not ready to leave?" he asked. "The curse can still be broken."

"Maybe I don't want it to be broken," Mark said. His words didn't surprise Ethan. He had already said that he thought he deserved his current fate.

"Maybe I'm not ready to accept that fate."

"You've only been here a few days," Mark said. "This obsession -"

"I can make my own choices," Ethan said. The obsession he had with Mark had always been obvious. He had memorized and entire movie, after all. He had never even tried to hide that obsession. But part of him felt like it was more than just an obsession now. He wasn't sure what to call it because he had never felt it before.

"There's no future here for you."

"There's no future for me out there," Ethan said. He thought about Brian and Kathryn. About the family he had left behind in Maine... What would they think if he never came back? After he was cursed himself, he couldn't leave because he wouldn't be able to live with the pain of watching the people he loved grow old and die while he lived on.

Mark was good at reading people. "You're free to stay a few more days," he said. "But then you have to leave. Please. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I hurt you after..." After he changed.

Ethan's hand was still on Mark's stomach. "I don't want to say goodbye," he said. "I know it's only been a few days, but it's felt like so much longer."

"It's the curse," Mark said. "I can force you to leave, you know."

"So what's this about?" Ethan asked. He pulled his hand away and gestured to Mark's bare chest.

"You wanted to see me."

Ethan looked away, suddenly feeling shy. His heart was still pounding. "That's not an answer," he said. "You said you came to talk about the kiss, but instead you take off your shirt and then tell me that I have to leave."

Mark gave a slight nod of his head. "I said I wanted to prove something," he said. "The kiss was in the dark."

"So you thought I only liked you for your past looks," Ethan said, ignoring the fact that Mark's past looks were exactly what he had pictured during that kiss. But that had only been because it had been dark and he hadn't been able to see Mark at the time.

Mark gave a small grin. A grin that made Ethan's heart go wild. "You like me?"

"Up until the point you accepted your fate and kicked me out."

"I accepted my fate a long time before you arrived."

"That doesn't change the fact that you don't deserve it," Ethan said. "No one deserves a fate like that, no matter what they've done. Surely you've learned your lesson by now."

"That doesn't -"

Ethan shut him up by pressing up against Mark and kissing him. If he hadn't made a move, he was convinced that his heart would have beat itself right out of his chest.

Mark was kissing him right back.

Ethan backed toward the bed, pulling Mark with him. He didn't know what had made him so bold, (the curse?) he just knew that he couldn't leave without getting what he wanted. Was he even sure he would actually leave? How could he go back to a normal life after this?

But if Mark turned into some sort of creature and Ethan became cursed, what kind of life was that?

Was there no happy ending?

If they were going to lose each other anyway, might as well confess feelings now. It was better to have loved and lost...

Loved?

Then they were on the bed, Ethan clinging to Mark, kiss becoming more heated. Mark's skin grew warmer than usual, almost feverish. A side effect of what he was becoming? It scared Ethan a little. He didn't know what he was getting into. He had never been intimate with anyone before. But his body knew what it wanted.

Mark seemed hesitant after a moment. Thinking about what Celine had done?

Ethan broke the kiss and looked into Mark's eyes. "I'm not Celine," he said. Thoughts and feelings were making everything confusing. "Mark -"

"I trust you," Mark said. And it was something about the way he said it that made certain feelings more clear for Ethan.

He knew what to call it.

"Mark?" Ethan asked nervously as Mark traveled down Ethan's body. He placed both hands over his face, low-key panicking as Mark pulled his pants down. But there was an entirely different feeling when he felt Mark's breath against his dick, which was standing erect. He lowered his hands away from his face. "Mark...Oh, god!"

Mark had taken Ethan's cock into his mouth. And after a few minutes of Mark's warm mouth working him, Ethan had the most mind-blowing orgasm of his life. And Mark didn't pull away until he had swallowed every last drop of Ethan's cum.

Ethan could taste himself on Mark's tongue when their lips came together in another kiss. He was also aware that at some point, Mark had stripped down naked. The way he was positioned, the head of his cock was poking at Ethan's ass crack.

"Mark?" Ethan's voice was a little more nervous now.

Before he could say anything else, there was a knock at the door. The voice that could be heard outside the room was Benjamin's: "Master...we have a...guest." He sounded concerned about something.

But then Ethan was more concerned with something else. "He knew you were in here," he said.

"You just wanted to see my body," Mark said then added: "I AM good at reading people."

"Fuck you."

Mark smirked. "We were just getting to that part."

The knock came again, more insistent this time. It was, again, ignored.

"All right," Ethan said. "How about we both admit to our ulterior motives so we're in agreement about why we're really here."

"What kind of agreement?"

Then the door opened and Benjamin walked in, one hand lifted to cover his eyes. "Mark...it's Will."

"Will?" Ethan asked as Benjamin left and Mark got out of bed, getting dressed quickly.

"An old friend," Mark said. His voice was deep and dark like it had been when they had first met. He pulled on his pants then his shirt, not bothering to button it up. He turned and left without another word.

Ethan pulled up his pants then rolled out of bed and went to the window that overlooked the front grounds. It was still raining, but not as hard as before. He cracked the window open to see out better.

The front gate looked like it had been forced open. The car sitting in the driveway didn't look familiar. The two men standing in the rain in front of the car, however, were VERY familiar.

The Colonel and his detective friend.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Nine**

As Mark walked out of Ethan's room, he wasn't surprised to find a servant out in the hall with his house shoes and robe. He finished buttoning up his shirt then put on the robe and shoes as he walked. He tied the robe closed as he headed down the stairs, Benjamin meeting him at the bottom.

Benjamin looked worried. Mark was confused and angry. All this time they had thought Will had shared a similar fate as Dark had: becoming that creature that roamed the grounds. It was that or they had just assumed the creature had killed Will like so many other servants. Instead, Will had been off living a life of his own.

Why had he returned now?

"He didn't say what he wanted," Benjamin said without being asked. "He just demanded that he speak with you. I urge caution. He might know the time is close." His tone turned even more serious. "He might want to make sure the curse remains unbroken."

Some viewed immortality as a curse, some sought after it.

The enchanted rose and the curse were the last things Mark wanted to think about right now. Even with the unexpected guest, one thing was still on his mind: Ethan. The anger and confusion Mark was feeling now was just fueling the desire he felt for Ethan.

Mark forced himself to push those feelings away before he decided to go back upstairs without first dealing with Will. He looked away from Benjamin and walked to the front door, which stood open, letting the smell of rain in. A light breeze blew, but Mark was still hot under the collar. And that wasn't because of the anger or confusion.

Will was standing out in the rain, which was just a drizzle. Mark was surprised by the fact that his old friend hadn't changed. But then, he had been cursed with the rest of them. That wouldn't change no matter how far Will ran. Whether the curse was broken or not.

The man with Will was also someone Mark recognized: Detective Abe Lincoln. The defeated look in his eyes told Mark that he had been cursed as well. But Mark didn't remember him being there that night so was he cursed?

"You look surprised to see me," Will said. "You have something I want."

Mark's thoughts went to the rose, but what would Will want with that? Even if Mark kept the rose in the manor or not, the petals would still fall. Mark would continue to run out of time. "You've had plenty of time to get your things," Mark said. "Why show up now?"

"Because until now, finding you was impossible," Will said, glancing around in annoyance. "Almost as if you were hidden away until the time was right."

Mark didn't think some things were too far-fetched anymore. No one had ever trespassed until Ethan's friend had shown up. Fate had come to play the game. It was entirely possible that the manor had hidden itself from Will until now.

"And..." Will went on. "The thing I'm after arrived only recently."

"Ethan?" Mark asked before he could stop himself. Will's reaction confirmed that he was here for Ethan. "Ethan's not yours."

"He works for me."

"No, I don't," Ethan said, stepping up beside Mark. They weren't standing too close to each other, but Mark's thoughts went back to the bedroom. That animalistic feeling of lust... "What are you doing here, Colonel?"

"Rescuing you," Will said. "Brian seemed worried."

"Brian?" Ethan asked. "Brian went to YOU for help?" Apparently that had been the last thing he had expected his friend to do.

"He said you had gotten yourself a job you wanted out of," Will said. Mark couldn't tell if he was telling the truth or not about what Ethan's friend had said. "You can imagine my surprise when I heard you had gotten a job working for my old friend Mark, whom I had thought disappeared off the face of the earth decades ago."

"I'm not exactly working..."

"Kidnapped! Imprisoned!" Will said. "No wonder your friend was worried. You're lucky I got here in time. Let's go."

Ethan looked at Mark then back at Will. "I'm not going," he said. "Brian was mistaken. He didn't know the whole truth."

"You WANT to stay here?" Will asked incredulously. "Do you know WHAT he is?" Mark cringed at the words, instinctively stepping further back into the shadows. He kept his gaze away from Ethan even though he knew Ethan didn't care about his looks.

Right?

"I know," Ethan said. "And I don't care."

Silence. There must have been something in Ethan's voice that Will picked up on because he stopped to stare at the both of them.

"I DID get here just in time," Will said. "He's a monster, Ethan. Do you really think he cares about you? He only cares about himself. He's just using you for his own gain. He was sexually frustrated years before he was cursed. And after Celine, it's understandable that he now aches for cock -"

"STOP," Mark growled, stepping back out of the shadows to stare Will down. "How do you know what happened with Celine?" Other than Ethan, Benjamin had been the only one Mark had told. It was entirely possible that Celine had said something, but why tell Will?

"It's sad that after all these years, you still haven't figured it out," Will said. "You've had a lot of thinking time available, but of course Celine was the last thing on your mind." All of a sudden, he pulled a gun out and aimed it at Mark. "Celine was mine and I wanted you to suffer for even thinking about her. It was a good thing she wasn't that interested in you."

Mark stood frozen in place as reality sunk in. His thoughts went back to where he didn't want to go. He had only dredged up the memory for Ethan because he had wanted Ethan to understand. Not to get into Ethan's pants. His intentions had never been that. He just wanted to know if Ethan would take him as is. Complete with the past he had before he was curse. A past he was learning was even worse than he had remembered.

Mark and Will had grown up together. Mark had once thought of him as his best friend. A best friend he had thought had been lost to the curse. A best friend who had betrayed him.

"You were too emotional for her," Will continued, burying the figurative knife deeper into Mark's back. "She needed a real man. A man who could prove himself to her."

"And you're that man?" Mark asked, his voice calm, but his temper rising. "You set me up. I was raped and then you made me believe you were still my friend."

"You never confided in me!" Will shot back. "What kind of friend was I to you, really? I guess it's not too late to say that Celine and I also cursed you."

"You and Celine..."

"It was a perfect plan," Will said. "Once you swore off any thought of love, it was easy to seal the deal. You'd be a hideous beast and probably kill the rest of your servants and I'd be immortal."

"And where's Celine now?"

Will's determination faltered slightly. Celine was a sensitive subject for them both. "After you were cursed she...left."

"So she wasn't interested in you either."

"Mark..."

Mark turned his head and looked at Ethan. It didn't bother him that Ethan was hearing all of this. It was actually the only comforting thought about it all. Ethan was looking at him sympathetically, not pitifully. Ethan obviously had his own opinion about Will. An even lower opinion about him now, it seemed.

"Ethan's coming with me," Will said, getting back to the reason he was here. Did he really think he had control over everything just because he had a gun? Mark was tempted to just say shoot and be done with it. Will would get what he wanted and Mark would be free of the pain.

"I didn't have the courage to stand up to you before," Ethan said, stepping forward to face Will. "I'm NEVER going to work for you."

"Then what will you tell your friends?"

"The know -"

"They know only what I tell them."

"What do you mean?"

"How long do you think you've been here?"

"A few days..."

"It's been a month, Ethan."

* * *

"A month?" Ethan couldn't really believe that, but wasn't anything possible? After all, he had been told that time worked differently here. And his time spent here HAD felt like a lot longer than just a few days.

"Brian came to me for help nearly a month ago," the Colonel said. "I told him I'd take care of everything. When the manor refused to show itself, I told your friends that I had found you and you were working with me and that's why you didn't come home."

Ethan was still confused by this. Brian and Kathryn knew he wouldn't work for the Colonel. Brian even knew about the manor and thought someone would have to stay behind...

Brian's decision to go to the Colonel was starting to make sense. Brian had thought that the Colonel could get trapped in Ethan's place so Ethan could walk free. Ethan could forgive him for that now.

"Also a little detail," the Colonel went on, obviously picking up on Ethan's confusion. "If you're not cursed, the longer you're away from the manor, the more you forget about it and the curse." He looked past Ethan and at Mark. "Which is why you were forgotten so quickly."

"So now Brian just thinks I went to work for you?" Ethan asked. Kathryn hadn't known about the curse unless Brian had said something.

"Of course," the Colonel said. "Now let's go. They might want to hear from you and I can't make up anymore excuses as to why you can't talk -"

"Why are you in such a hurry to get me out of here?" Ethan asked. "Because of the curse?" How much time was actually left? Especially considering the fact that he had been here for a month.

A month. That explained why he felt so strongly about Mark. Without knowing it, those feelings had had time to develop. His heart knew how long it had really been.

"You don't want to be cursed -"

"But then I'd be like you, immortal," Ethan said. "If you want me to work for you so badly, it makes sense you'd want to keep me around."

"You wouldn't be cursed if you stayed," the Colonel said carefully. And a bit reluctantly as if confessing something. "It wasn't supposed to be this way."

"What -"

"He doesn't get the happy ending," the Colonel said then pulled the trigger.

Ethan thought he had been shot until he heard Mark's strangled gasp followed by the dull thump of something hitting the floor. Ethan turned to see Mark on the floor, blood forming a pool around him.

"Mark!" Ethan shouted just as he heard the Detective ordering the Colonel to drop his gun. Ethan paid them no mind as he ran over to Mark and dropped to his knees by his side.

Just then a loud roar could be heard. Ethan knew what it was even though it could have been thunder. Rain started pouring harder. Lightning flashed, bathing the yard in light.

Benjamin was dragging Mark further inside. Ethan scrambled back to his feet and over to the door, pausing at the sight before him.

The Detective and the Colonel were arguing. Ethan couldn't hear what they were saying over the sound of the pouring rain. So they couldn't hear the creature approaching. Ethan opened his mouth to warn them, but no sound came out. What if his warning attracted the creature this way? Ethan slammed the door shut as the creature grabbed the Colonel, dragging him off into the darkness. He didn't hear any gunshots, but he did see, through the window, the car driving away. Abe was running. Ethan would have too.

"Ethan!"

Ethan turned at the sound of his name and hurried over to where Benjamin was with Mark. They were on the floor underneath the mirror Ethan had seen when he had first walked in. The mirror that had sent a chill down his spine.

The mirror that wasn't a mirror anymore. A room was being shown that Ethan didn't recognize. In that room was a table and on the table was a dying rose. Ethan was too enraptured by the sight to do anything. As he stood there watching, a petal fell. Only one remained.

"Ethan..."

Mark's voice pulled Ethan out of his daze. He knelt down beside Mark. Benjamin was doing what he could to stop the bleeding, but without a doctor...

"I can't leave..." Mark managed to say as if reading Ethan's mind. But what else would he be thinking? "Even if I could...it's too late."

Ethan glanced up at the rose displayed in the mirror. "The last petal..." he muttered. He looked back at Mark. "I really couldn't have helped, could I? At least you won't be a monster." His voice was suddenly choked up. The tears fell when Mark reached over and took his hand.

"I'm not saying goodbye," Ethan said before Mark could say anything. "It shouldn't end like this. It can't end like this! It isn't fair!"

"Life's...not fair..."

Ethan wiped his face with his free hand. "Don't give up, we'll get you help," he said. "Even if I have to bring the fucking doctor here." Benjamin had moved away. Was he giving up as well?

"Never make it," Mark said, his strength slowly fading away. "But thank you."

"Don't thank me," Ethan said, wiping away more tears. "I didn't help you."

"You showed me...so much," Mark said. "I was...finally happy." He gave a weak smile that broke Ethan's heart even more.

"Mark..." Ethan looked down when Mark's grasp on his hand relaxed. An anguished roar came from outside. Ethan looked up at the rose in the mirror. The last petal had fallen.

Time had run out.

"No," Ethan heard himself muttering it over and over again. He grabbed onto Mark and shook him. "Not like this." Nothing he did woke him up. He put his arms around Mark, laying against him as he sobbed.

The depth of his feelings surprised him. He didn't think anything could hurt this much. But, in his heart, he knew why. It was the same feeling he had thought about during their passionate embrace upstairs only a few moments ago. Who knew something so good could fall apart so fast?

Ethan hadn't gotten the chance to confess it before, but he said it now. Just three words he mustered out between sobs:

"I love you."


End file.
